Spring's Song
by EspeonSilverfire2
Summary: Oneshot. Late spring, a warm time of year in the Soul Society. Captain Hitsugaya has a heavy workload and feels exhausted, but when a small sparrow arrives in his room, he learns a true appreciation of the season.


**A/N- this is just a short oneshot I felt like writing today. For some reason, watching Spirited Away for the first time put me in a decidedly good mood, so I went and wrote a Hitsugaya oneshot. I wrote this in two sessions- in between I drew some fanart to celebrate Aizen's birthday today (29th May). So if there's a slight difference in flow etc. that'll be why. Please enjoy, and as always I'd love to hear what you think in a review! Thank you!**

Warm sunlight swept across the sandy floor and a refreshing breeze fluttered his hair, scattering cherry blossoms throughout the room. Outside, a chorus of birdsong filled the air, and the trees swayed gently in the light wind, in time with the music. A warm spring had gripped the Soul Society, as a few green leaves, lush with life, were picked from their stalks and flitted through the window. One brushed against his cheek, the slight caress leaving the faint glow of a blush there, before fluttering away to come to a rest on the sofa nearby. Light glinted off a window pane, basking the whole room in the saffron shades of oncoming summer.

"I should really shut that window," Toshiro muttered, glancing up from the steady brushstrokes of his paperwork.

Averting his eyes back down again, he returned to the stacks of paper before him. Matsumoto was off as usual, probably wallowing in the pools of sunlight outside, celebrating the peaceful time of year. Or using it as an excuse to drink sake, at any rate. This had left her captain with a large amount of paperwork, as always, but the young man's workload had been made even more vast by the recent deployment of a team of 10th division members in the World of the Living. Toshiro wouldn't have minded so much, except that it all seemed rather pointless to him, especially with Ichigo running around there as a substitute already.

He was tired too. Yesterday had been the anniversary of Aizen's birthday, which had sent Momo tumbling on a downward spiral. He'd had a soggy shoulder all day, and comforting her had taken up almost all of his time. He'd had to pull an all-nighter to catch up with the paperwork, not that the prodigy would let a little sleep-deprivation stop him.

As he finished with one sheet of paper, placing it on top of a large stack of similar sheets with a rustle, and proceeded to select another, he heard a strange chirping coming from the direction of the window. Flicking his eyes up, he caught sight of a small sparrow perched upon the windowsill. The bird gazed at him inquisitively with its jet-black eyes for a moment, boring into the core of his being, before chirping once more and fluttering over to sit atop the edge of his desk.

Hitsugaya's eyes opened wide in surprise for a moment at the bird's proximity. He wasn't used to anything daring to come close to him- his icy persona and cold aura usually drove everything off, including animals. However, his weariness and typical personality soon kicked in and he waved his hand towards it, fingertips brushing the surface of the desk.

"Shoo, go away," he sighed, brow creasing fractionally to accent his irritation.

The bird sat there for a moment, head still cocked towards the captain, before it chirped and hopped a couple of inches closer to him, pecking at the fresh sheet of paperwork before him.

"Hey! Get off that!" Toshiro protested, arms instinctively grasping towards the bird. But his hands clasped around empty air. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, staring at the spot in surprise for a moment, before his silent question was answered by a chirp from the top of his head.

Hitsugaya blinked again. The bird was in his hair. The bird. Was in. His hair. The. Bird. Was. In. His. Hair.

"I'm warning you," he growled, eyes pointed upwards even though he knew he couldn't see the top of his head. "Get out of there."

He was just about to reach one hand up and dislodge the offending creature when it began to sing. It's chirping was melodic, soothing and almost hypnotic. For a second the young captain thought Aizen might have sent it to mesmerize him, but he quickly dismissed the thought as, for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he felt himself start to relax.

He leaned back, warming his face in a shaft of sunlight, as the bird continued its song, his eyes drifting closed and the faintest hint of a smile seeping across his pale lips. He felt every muscle in his body begin to loosen, and he wrapped his snow-tinted arms behind his head, resting against them.

The song and Hitsugaya's bliss lasted for a few minutes, but slowly the harmony began to drift to a close. When it finally ended, Toshiro gently opened his eyes and once again looked up.

"Thank you," he murmured, his icy eyes warmed in gratitude.

The bird chirped once more in response, before unfolding its wings and fluttering into the open skies outside the confines of the room.

Still reclining in his chair, the young captain let his eyes gradually fall closed again, and felt the peace of late spring engulf him.

Perhaps he would leave the window open after all.


End file.
